Ever since I can remember I have been interested in learning a foreign language. Both of my parents grew up learning foreign languages such as French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish and that passion was always engrained into me as a child. I took French all throughout High School, but realized that was not the language for me. My High School unfortunately did not offer a wide range of languages so immediately after I graduated I began taking UCLA extension classes in German. It was the best thing I could have done.
My professor came from Munich and she instilled not only a love of the language in me but also a fascination for the culture. She encouraged me to continue my studies with German even after her course was over. In community college I took all the German classes I possibly could, including history classes, literature classes as well as advanced language courses. I signed up for a study abroad program that took me to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It gave me a taste of the culture and lifestyle and I had never felt more at home.
Continuing my studies at UCLA I took film courses, more literature and German history courses. I am so grateful that I chose to be a language major because it gave me a chance to broaden my horizons into another culture and through campus clubs and events I was able to meet people from German speaking countries. It was also a great opportunity to work with professors individually and gave me the chance to pursue different fields and discover where my passions lay: German theater. I am more determined than ever to get back over there where I hope to find a job that puts my skills to good use.